A FOUR-month-old baby has been killed after a medical worker allegedly injected milk into his veins instead of his feeding tube.
Miguel Angelo Barbosa died while being treated for bronchiolitis at a hospital in north-eastern .
He had been admitted on October 11 after being rushed to an urgent care unit suffering with breathing difficulties.
Miguel had been showing signs of improvement in the days that followed and his family were hopeful he would soon be discharged.
He received medication and fluids through an intravenous line in his neck, while his milk was delivered through a separate nasal feeding tube.
Miguel’s paternal aunt, Meyre Gabriela da Silva, was staying with him while his mum recovered from emergency surgery to remove her appendix.
Meyre said she went to the bathroom at around 4am on October 20 while Miguel was sleeping.
She believes the alleged mistake happened during her brief absence.
Meyre recalled: “I covered him again because it was cold and then he started crying, made a strange sound and turned completely purple.
“He began to lose consciousness and his mouth turned grey.
“I immediately called for help and, when I turned on the light, I saw the intravenous line connected incorrectly.”
The family alleges that the healthcare worker connected the milk to the intravenous line instead of the feeding tube.
Meyre claimed the two tubes were on opposite sides of the baby’s body and looked different, with the nasal feeding tube held in place by blue tape and the intravenous line being transparent.
She also said the worker had administered Miguel’s medication correctly during previous shifts.
The medical team spent more than an hour attempting to resuscitate the baby, Meyre said.
She alleged that the healthcare worker admitted the error when quizzed by a doctor, but claimed she had not switched on the pump connected to the feeding tube.
However Meyre insisted the pump had been running.
She further alleged that the worker left the hospital when it became clear Miguel was not responding to resuscitation.
The baby’s father, Jose Marcio, also accused the worker of leaving the hospital before the end of her shift.
He said: “I want everyone who made mistakes to be held responsible and punished. This should never happen to my child or anyone else’s.”
Jose added that the family had contacted the and provided statements as part of the investigation.
The Pernambuco Civil Police registered the case as a homicide on October 21.
The hospital said it had immediately suspended the employee involved and activated its patient safety team to investigate the circumstances.
In a statement, Hospital Memorial de Goiana said: “The hospital deeply regrets the adverse event involving a child and expresses its unconditional solidarity with the child’s parents and relatives.”
It added: “In more than 30 years of activity, MHG has always prioritised good medical practice. We are at the authorities’ disposal for anything necessary.”
Miguel was buried on October 22 after his body underwent tests at the Institute of Legal Medicine.
The official cause of death has yet to be confirmed, with additional forensic results expected within 30 days, according to his family.
The investigation continues, and the circumstances surrounding the alleged error and Miguel’s death remain to be established.
